Frozen Imagination, Shattered Innocence
by LiP SMACKERs
Summary: After her mother passed Sophia Lewis became the woman of the house. Having no choice but to do as he demands she tries her best to protect her two younger siblings from their fathers rage and maintain their innocence by telling them stories of beings such as Santa and the Easter Bunny. On a cold winter night after a bad night with her father, she meets a certain winter spirit.
1. Jack Frost

"Are you guys all ready for bed?" The sound of a soft voice filled the small, plainly furnished bedroom. There was not much in the small room, peach walls, tan carpet that was stained with juice and food, a set of beds, one covered in small rockets and spaceships, the other printed with Disney princesses, and a toy chest in the corner by the only window in the room. Sophia smiled down at her younger brother and sister, they were all dressed up in their mismatched pajamas, grinning at her.

"Can't we stay up? I mean, I am seven now." Her brother said bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, his dark brown hair jumping about his slim face.

Sophia laughed quietly and shook her head, her brown curls bouncing about lightly, "But your sister is only five, so no." She said scooting them to their beds. Their beds were side by side with a small nightstand between them for separation. She pulled up the chair from the corner of their room and sat it between their beds. As they got comfortable, she did as well. It was routine for her to tell them stories before bed, it was something they all could look forward to.

Sophia crossed her leg over the other and leaned forward, "What story do you want to hear today?" She asked. The two young children were silent for a moment before Olivia glanced out the window, she perked up, her bright eyes lighting up and waved her hands about like a mad-woman, Sophia laughed, "Go ahead."

Olivia smiled, showing her two missing front teeth, "Snowing, tell us a story about snow!"

Leaning back in the creaky wooden chair Sophia ran her fingers through the ends of her hair trying to think of something. She had already told them Frosty the Snowman, she didn't know many snow stories. "I don't know, Ollie, I don't think I know any." She admitted sadly, not wanting to disappoint her sister.

"Mrs. Hyde told us all at school to keep warm of Jack Frost would eat our noses! Tell that!"

Sophia laughed again. "I think you mean nip at your nose, not eat it. Jack Frost probably isn't into eating kid's noses." Or maybe he was. She didn't know much about Jack Frost and wasn't sure she could tell them an entire story about him. "I have a better idea, I want you two to make up a story about Jack Frost and tell me all about it tomorrow. How's that?"

Her brother frowned. "You just don't know what to say." He accused accurately.

She laughed nervously, her brother was so perceptive it was irritating from time to time. "Well if you aren't up to the challenge, I guess I can just tell you what I know..." She examined her coral colored fingernails as if bored.

"No! We will tell you about him tomorrow!" He said quickly, he always fell for that.

"Is he really real, sissy?" Olivia asked quietly, fidgeting with her blankets, Sophia could see the hope in her eyes and it made her heart wretch.

"Of course," she said all too quickly. "You just have to do a little believing, I'm sure he'll even come visit you tonight if you do a good job on your story." She said confidently.

Her brother scoffed, "Yeah, right. He's probably like Santa, only comes when you sleep."

Sophia stood from the chair quickly and made her way to their window. "He isn't like Santa at all," she said unlocking the window and pulling it open with a small grunt. The house wasn't very big, a simple two story that was poorly decorated inside and hardly noticeable from the sidewalk. A simple dark blue that let it blend well into the darkness. Taking a deep breath, Sophia gathered her nerves knowing what she was about to do was a bad idea but if it would leave her siblings with pleasant dreams she didn't care.

"Jack!" She hollered out the window, using her hands to cup her mouth. "Jack Frost! Don't forget about Timmy and Olivia!" Something in her had her eyes searching the street and sky for him. She knew she was too old to believe in any of the things she told her brother and sister, but there was a part of her that couldn't let go. Maybe that was why it was so easy for her to get them to believe as well, because she did. "You have some believers that deserve a visit, Jack! Please don't forget!" She put her hands on the window and took one last look in the sky before closing it.

Turning to her siblings she grinned. "That should do it, just believe really hard that he'll show up and I promise you he will." She said walking to their bedsides and kissing them both on the foreheads. "I love the both of you, sleep we-" The bedroom door suddenly flew open, crashing into the wall, shaking the picture of the two siblings in Easter clothing on the wall. Sophia felt her heart jump into her throat and she spun around to assess how much trouble she was in. She could feel all the blood in her body rush to her face leaving her limbs cold. She swallowed hard watching the statuous man stagger into the room. He towered over her at a whopping 6'4", and was easily three-hundred pounds to her measly 5'6", one hundred and fifteen pounds.

"The hell you yellin' fo'?" He growled. Sophia glanced at her siblings and saw they both had their eyes closed unusually tight for sleeping, but she knew they weren't. They knew what to do when he was this way, their father the drunk.

She turned her attention back to her father, Robert. "I-I'm sorry dad, there were kids throwing snowballs at the car, I was telling them to stop." She lied.

"Bullshit," he snarled grabbing for her in his drunken stupor. Sophia jumped back and out of his reach before darting past him and into the hall towards her bedroom. His thundering steps behind her sent fear through her bones but she kept moving. Turning the corner she reached her hand out for her doorknob and pushed the door open but before she could make it into her room she felt his thick hand snatch her up by the hair. She cried out and reached her hands back, wrapping her small fingers around his wrist in hopes she could pry it off.

"I'll give you a reason to yell in the middle of the night!" He spat as he tossed her to the ground. She hit the floor with a thud, her forehead meeting the edge of her bed. She dizzily turned around to face him trying to shake the haze from her eyes. When her vision cleared she looked up at him only to see his fist flying towards her. She screamed before it even made contact with her, anticipating the pain. Her voice left her when she felt the hot searing pain radiate around her eye, making her feel faint.

"Stop! Please, stop!" She felt tears streaming down her face, the eyeliner and mascara she had been wearing was running down her face, staining her olive skin. Grabbing her by her hair and pulling her to the floor he held her close to his face, the alcohol was so strong it made her stomach churn.

"I don't want to hear you for the rest of the night." he growled, tossing her carelessly into her nightstand. She tried to hold on to balance herself but still ended up on the floor.

She didn't bother getting up again while he remained there knowing she would only get beaten more. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed on the floor. What had become of her father? He hadn't always been that way, she could remember a time where she was sure he loved her. The beatings weren't as bad as the things he said or the things he didn't say anymore. But she had to endure it, for her sibling's sake. If she didn't take it, she was sure he would move onto them and she couldn't bear the thought of him putting his hands on them. They were so innocent, she had to protect that.

It seemed like forever before he finally left, slamming the door behind him. After a moment she slowly got off the floor. Her room was like her siblings. Not very large, tan carpets, a bed in the corner, and white walls. It wasn't a room though, not to her at least. To her it was a prison. She was almost never allowed to leave the house and the only reason she ever got too was to keep up appearances. Her father was paranoid the neighbors would start to suspect something if his children never left the house. Especially after he had taken her out of school, forcing her to get her GED so she could stay at home and take care of everything her mother use to, before she passed...

Pushing herself off the ground she made her way to her window, pushing it open and climbing out, letting the chilled night air greet her burning skin. Grabbing onto the thick tree branch that grew too close to her window, she got onto the branch and used the tree to get down to the freshly fallen snow. Black shorts and a grey sweatshirt with black sleeves hung onto her body poorly, letting the night air dance on her skin, giving her goosebumps. There was nothing she could do, no one she could turn to for help. She was going to be stuck in that house until she died, just like her mother.

The thought brought more tears to her eyes but she swallowed them down and made her way down the road to the frozen lake kids would skate on during this time of year. It was her favorite place to go when she needed to get away. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped carefully down the snowy hill. It was such a beautiful night out, regardless of it being freezing. She liked winter, everything was so calm. Standing before the frozen lake she looked up to the sky and sighed. "Oh Jack, please watch over my brother and sister." she whispered out.

"That's easy enough, especially since they are passed out in bed. But who is going to look out for you?" A soft, but deep male voice crept into Sophia's ears causing her to jump and turn around quickly to see who had spoken. She didn't see anyone which freaked her out even more.

"H-hello?" She called out, clenching her fists and bringing them close to her chest waiting for a silent attack.

"Can you hear me?" The voice asked.

"I must be going crazy." She said feeling her skin crawl with unease.

"No, you aren't." The voice said amused. "Take a guess at who I am."

Sophia frowned. "I'm not going to play games with a ghost." She declined.

The voice laughed. "I'm not a ghost." He corrected. "And you called me, remember?"

Her eyes widened and her hands fell to her side. "Jack Frost?"

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	2. Help

**((Thank you for the reviews, meathecat and R! I really hope everyone is enjoying so far. Don't forget to review telling me what you think! I don't want to write something no one likes haha. Thanks!))**

As soon as she spoke his name there was a flicker of blue and white shimmer and suddenly there stood a tall, lean, pale looking guy with white hair and surprisingly blue eyes. She took a step back and tripped on her own foot landing with a thud on the thick icy lake. "I-I"

Jack laughed floating down from the top of his staff and walked towards her. "I usually get that reaction." He said holding his hand out to her.

Sophia remained staring at him in total shock. How was it that _The_ Jack Frost was standing before her? Had her father beaten her that badly? Was she dreaming? "This can't be real." She said reaching her hand out hesitantly.

Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her up with ease. "Oh I'm real alright." He said with a grin. But the grin quickly faded when he saw a line of red on the edge of her hair line. He frowned and reached out to touch her head when she withdrew and took a step back. His frown deepened. "Your forehead." His tone held concern.

Sophia frowned in confusion and reached up to touch where he had reached. She felt her fingertips meet something warm and thick and she withdrew her hand to examine what was on her. She gasped in surprise at the sight of blood, immediately touching her palm to her forehead now to make sure she was seeing right. When she brought her hand in front of her face again her palm had a line of blood on it. She closed her fist tight and turned away from the winter spirit without a word, walking towards the small snowy hill that led to the street.

Jack flew in front of her. "Hey. You need to have that looked at." He said standing before her.

"No thank you, I'll be fine." She assured. Seeing he was about to insist she cut him off. "I don't want to argue with a spirit." She looked across the street to her house and felt her stomach churn. "But I do want to be out here. Just no questions."

Jack didn't like that deal but he nodded. "Alright, no questions." He promised.

Sophia stared at him for a long moment eying him carefully. "I still think I'm dreaming." She said with a small laugh. "I'm too old to be seeing you, right?"

Jack laughed. "I don't think you can ever be too old." He smiled a dazzling white smile. "It's refreshing that someone closer to my age believes in me." He floated up to the top of his staff and sat on it effortlessly.

"Well if you've existed this whole time." She began. "Where were you when I was a child and believed with every ounce of my heart?" She sat down on a snow covered rock and pulled her knees to her chest.

Jack moved his hand about in a lazy circle making the snow on the ground swirl about like a tiny blizzard, smiling when he saw Sophia's awe. "There's a lot of kids I don't get to see. I just got to your family late. Your brother and sister are great kids."

Tearing her gaze away from the blizzard and up to him she smiled softly. "I know they are. You promise to visit them?" She questioned.

Jack laughed. "Yes, yes, I promise." He agreed. "Only if it's okay if I visit you sometimes too?"

"I'm…not exactly fun to be around." She said in a low voice. She hadn't had friends since school and even then she kept the friendship school bound only. She never got to have sleep overs or go out and do things teens do. She was confined to her house.

"I saw you with your brother and sister." He argued. "Boring doesn't describe you at all."

Sophia opened her mouth to argue his point but stopped short. "You were in my house?"

Jack stiffened. "I stayed in your sibling's room…"

She felt her eyes water with shame and embarrassment. "But you still heard?" It was hardly a question.

"I did." He said honestly. "But I didn't eavesdrop, you called me and so I came." He said quickly trying to defend himself seeing her get emotional. He jumped down from his staff and put his hands on her shoulders gently but she backed out of his reach and he let his arms slump down to his side in defeat. "You…really shouldn't stay in that house."

Sophia wiped her eyes as tears threatened to spill over. "I'm only sixteen, it's not that easy." She hissed. "You get to flitter around all day, I wish my life was that easy." She stood from the rock and walked up the hill away from him.

Jack flew in front of her. "I didn't come here to upset you."

"Then why did you come?" She snapped. "I called you for my siblings, not for myself."

Jack looked taken back. "But…you need a guardian more than anyone right now." He said softly.

"I don't need anyone's help, especially not from someone people can't even see." She said pushing past him, keeping her head down to conceal the tears on her face. "Goodbye." She said harshly as she quickly made her way back her house and back up the tree into her open bedroom window.

Jack watched as she left, not pursuing her to avoid upsetting her further. He sighed and kicked the snow on ground making a cloud of it puff into the air and flitter down. She was right, he couldn't help her.

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	3. Promise

**((Thank you Daisy54154 and KathryneNight [you made me laugh out loud btw]! For the reviews! It makes me write so much faster knowing someone wants to read it :D. Hooray!)) **

The following morning Sophia woke with puffy eyes from the endless tears she had shed during the night. Who did Jack think he was sneaking like that? She wanted to be mad about it feeling it was the right emotion but she really wanted to thank him. For caring enough to say something instead of turning a blind eye. She sighed and pushed the stiff black covers off of her, sitting up to stretch her sore body. Looking to her window she stood to peek at the small pond, a small part of her wishing to see Jack. But he was nowhere to be found.

Frowning she moved away from her window and screamed when a familiar face was suddenly inches from hers, floating upside down. She stumbled into nightstand, grabbing her pillow and throwing it full force at the boy. The pillow made contact with his face and his body hit the ground with a thud.

The young spirit let out a small grunt before laughter filled her ears. He stood from the floor, removing the pillow from his body, a grin plastered on his face. "You've got a pretty good arm." He said tossing the pillow back on her bed, rubbing the back of his head.

Sophia glared at him. "Who told you, you could just come in my room when you please, Jack?" She hissed. "You almost gave me a freaking heart attack."

Jack put his hands up as if surrendering, a smile still on his face. "I'm sorry." He said sincerely. "I just came to apologize about last night. It really is none of my business." He said hoping up on her bed, crouched down casually. "But I would still like to be friends, if that's okay, of course?"

Sophia stared at him for a moment before smiling and rolling her eyes. Her heart swelled at the idea of having someone around to talk to and help her escape even if it was just for a little while. "Friends." She said holding her hand out to him.

Jack beamed a pearly white smile at her and took her hand up happily, shaking it gently.

The door suddenly swung open, slamming into the wall. Sophia's arms snapped to her side and her smile dropped in an instant. Her eyes fixated on the tall man before her, heart racing. "Dad…" her voice was barely above a whisper. Her eyes shifted to Jack for the briefest moment, his face was contorted in a way she didn't understand.

"What's all the noise about?" He growled. "Didn't you learn from last night?"

Sophia could feel her body start to shake with fear and shame washed over her in the same instance knowing Jack was going to see. She closed her eyes. "Go." She whispered softly, hoping he would hear. When she didn't get a response she peeked over to her bed and saw he was gone. She sighed feeling slight relief that he listened.

But the relief was short lived when she felt cold against her back and arms. "I've got you." Jack's voice sounded in her ear, sending chills down her spine.

"I asked you a question!" Her father shouted making her jump, refocusing on the situation.

"I'm sorry, dad." She said quietly. "There was a spider."

"Always lying!" He roared grabbing for her. She covered her face but in the same instance she felt her body move from where she had been standing to the side of her father. Her eyes widened and she looked back at Jack who had a look of satisfaction on his face.

Her father stumbled, not expecting her to have moved from her grasp. He turned to her again. "Stay still!" He ordered moving for her again but Jack lifted her from the ground again causing her father to stumble into the wall.

"Run!" Jack said pushing her towards her bedroom door.

Sophia felt adrenaline course through her veins as well as fear. "I can't!" She cried out too scared of the consequence of avoiding him.

"You can, you have to!" Jack said frantically.

Sophia gritted her teeth as she gathered her nerve and ran out of her bedroom. She could hear her father behind her and she looked up at Jack who was flying in front of her. "I'm not going to make it!" She called to him as she turned for the stairs.

"You will." Jack reassured throwing his hand out, a flash of white escaped his palm and she glanced behind her. Ice had formed on the hardwood floor and her father unknowingly stepped on it, sliding as soon as he made contact and crashing into the wall.

Sophia made it to her front door, opening it quickly and shutting it behind her just as fast. She leaned against the door trying to catch her breath and calm her sprinting heart. She felt a tug on her sweatshirt and looked up at Jack who was smiling. "Come on, you aren't in the clear just yet." He said nodding his head in the direction of the pond.

She smiled at him and took off in that direction, following closely behind him. Even though it was freezing the sun was still out and she relished in the feeling of it on her skin. The smell of fresh morning air was so invigorating, she had forgotten how much she missed it.

As she ran down the hill she passed the pond and made her way into the forest until she was out of sight. She dropped down to the ground, landing on her backside, snowing falling around her. She leaned against a thick tree trunk and caught her breath.

"You okay?" Jack asked lowering himself to her level, sitting on the ground with her.

Sophia looked at him and smiled softly. "Yeah, thank you." She said sitting up and away from the tree. She felt laughter bubble inside of her and she couldn't contain herself as it slowly erupted from her. "Th-that was so amazing!" She said between breaths. "I bet he is so confused!"

Jack couldn't help but smile at her laughter. It was almost contagious but something didn't seem right. And he was right to think so. After a moment he could see the sadness in her eyes, she was trying to compose herself but she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, covering her eyes. "I always get so scared." She cried out.

Jack's expression saddened and he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey, from now on I'll protect you." He said softly. He held her closer when he felt her hands tug at his sweatshirt. "Whenever you need me just call and I will come, I promise."

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